WASHINGTON – Legislation to revive a requirement that certain states, mostly in the South, get advance approval from federal officials before making any changes to their voting systems will get a hearing June 25 before a key Senate committee.

The hearing comes exactly one year after the Supreme Court threw out the requirement, which had been a key provision of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.

"It is time for Congress to act," Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said in a statement. "Just as Congress came together 50 years ago to enact the Civil Rights Act, Democrats and Republicans should work together now to renew and strengthen the Voting Rights Act, which has always been bipartisan.''

States that would be affected by the Voting Rights Amendment Act, which would resurrect the Voting Rights Act's "pre-clearance" provision, are those with a history of discrimination at the ballot box.

States with at least five voting-rights violations in the past 15 years — one of the violations would have to be statewide — would be subject to pre-clearance. That would mean Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas would be covered. Alabama, which is where the Supreme Court court case originated, would not be covered.

Civil rights organizations and religious groups have pushed for months for action on the amendment, proposed by Leahy in the Senate and by Reps. John Conyers, D-Mich., and Jim Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., in the House.

Last year's Supreme Court decision threw out the formula that was used to determine which states were subject to pre-clearance. That effectively voided the requirement.

Most of the states and other jurisdictions that had been subject to the requirement were in the South, including Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi. Officials in those places oppose the attempt to revive pre-clearance, saying the concept is outdated and their voting practices are no longer affected by discrimination.

Louisiana Secretary of State Tom Schedler, a Republican, has said the proposed change "tramples states' rights.''

Democratic Rep. Cedric Richmond of Louisiana, who is pushing the amendment in the House, praised the Senate for scheduling a hearing and blasted GOP House leaders for not taking action.

"Voting is the most fundamental right in our democracy and anyone who supports the Constitution should support the Voting Rights Amendment Act," Richmond said.

Rep. Robert Goodlatte, R-Va., chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, has said it's not clear the Sensenbrenner/Conyers' proposal is necessary. His committee has not scheduled a hearing on the proposal.

Political experts said it's unlikely Congress will take action on the legislation during an election year.

Next week's hearing comes as Congress plans to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and veterans of the civil rights movement gather in Jackson, Miss., to remember the efforts during Freedom Summer that year to register blacks to vote in the South.